1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device and an electronic apparatus in which the liquid crystal device is built.
2. Related Art
As modes of liquid crystal devices, there are modes referred to as an FFS (fringe field switching) mode and an IPS (in plane switching) mode that drive liquid crystal molecules by a horizontal electric field (an electric field parallel to the substrate). In these liquid crystal devices, normally-black display is generally performed by disposing the liquid crystal molecules parallel to the substrate and aligning transmission axes of a pair of polarizing plates having the substrate interposed therebetween parallel or perpendicular to rubbing axis (the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules in the absence of an applied voltage). In such a case, it is known that the leakage of light in black display increases as direction of the axis of the polarizing plate is deviated from the optimal direction and thus the contrast decreases. Here, the degree of the decrease in the contrast depends on whether the direction of transmission axis of the polarizing plate is deviated from the optimal direction in the positive direction or in the negative direction. In other words, when the transmission axis is deviated in a direction in which the contrast changes slowly, the decrease in the contrast is small. However, when the transmission axis is deviated in a direction in which the contrast changes rapidly, the contrast decreases markedly.
As one of methods of suppressing the decrease in the contrast, a method of improving the precision of bonding positions of the polarizing plates has been known. In JP-A-2001-125092, technology for improving the precision of the bonding positions of the polarizing plates by disposing alignment marks in the polarizing plates and a liquid crystal panel is disclosed.
However, even when the above-described technology is used, an error between the transmission axis of the polarizing plate and the position of the alignment mark and a mechanical error in a process for bonding the polarizing plate are not completely removed. Thus, the decrease in the contrast due to deviation of the angle of the transmission axis of the polarizing plate is not completely prevented. Particularly, in a case where the angle of the transmission axis is deviated in a direction in which the contrast changes rapidly, the contrast decreases markedly. Accordingly, technology for making the dependence of the contrast change on the direction of the deviation of the transmission axis to be small, that is, technology for realizing smaller difference in rapidity of the contrast change which depends on the above-described deviated direction has been demanded.